Posted on: Thursday, July 29, 2004
Isle cruise options to expand
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
NCL Corp. announced that the Pride of America, the cruise line's second U.S.-flagged ship, will begin interisland cruises in Hawai'i next July, offering seven-day cruises from Honolulu and three- and four-day cruises between Honolulu and Maui.
Advertiser library photo • June 27, 2002 Cruises on the Pride of Aloha are selling well, said NCL spokeswoman Susan Robison. NCL, like other cruise lines, generally sells out its cruises.
The Pride of America will offer seven-day interisland cruises from Honolulu starting July 23, 2005. The cruises will stop for one day in Hilo on the Big Island; two days in Kahului, Maui; a day in Kona on the Big Island; and two days in Nawiliwili on Kaua'i.
Passengers also will be able to take four-day cruises starting at Kahului, stopping in Kona and Nawiliwili and ending in Honolulu. Also for sale will be a three-day cruise starting in Honolulu with a stop in Hilo and ending in Kahului.
"It'll bring all of those passengers to our shores," said Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau. "Hopefully once they're here, they'll see things that they like and want to come back and maybe spend a longer time on land."
NCL's second U.S.-flagged cruise ship, the Pride of America, is scheduled to arrive in Hawai'i in July 2005. Service will include: • A seven-day cruise beginning and ending in Honolulu, with stops in Hilo, Kahului, Kona and Nawiliwili. • A four-day cruise that starts in Kahului, has stops in Kona and Nawiliwili, and ends in Honolulu. • A three-day cruise that starts in Honolulu, has a stop in Hilo and ends in Kahului. By next August, there will be three NCL ships based in Hawai'i: the Pride of Aloha, the Pride of America and the foreign-flagged Norwegian Wind, which runs 10- and 11-day cruises that include a stop at Fanning Island in the Republic of Kiribati.
Colin Veitch, NCL's chief executive, said in a written statement that it will be the largest cruise deployment ever for Hawai'i.
The additional cruise presence also helps increase flights to Hawai'i, Vencl said.
NCL's cruises will be supported by a new United Airlines' daily nonstop flight between Hawai'i and Chicago to start Dec. 16.
United will fly from Chicago to Maui and Kona, the airline's second daily nonstop flight from Chicago to Hawai'i.
Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470 or kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.
Earlier this month, the company's first U.S.-flagged ship, the Pride of Aloha, began seven-day interisland cruises starting and ending in Honolulu. NCL also said yesterday that, beginning June 4, 2005, the Pride of Aloha will allow passengers to either start and end a seven-day cruise at Honolulu or start and end at Kahului on Maui.
The atrium of NCL's Pride of Aloha features decorative touches that are distinctly Hawaiian. The Pride of America is set to join its sister ship in Hawai'i in July 2005. Cruises go on sale in August.
Cruises go on sale Aug. 9.
Pick longer or shorter cruises
